With the growing popularity of non-cellular wireless networks, such as wireless local area networks (WLANs), a demand for integration with overlaid or adjacent cellular networks has arisen in the marketplace. A solution for the integration of WLAN and cellular networks must include the ability to perform seamless handovers at least for voice services. Current cellular systems (e.g., GSM and CDMA) allow for such mobility between cell sites, but technology does not currently exist to allow calls to be maintained across a cellular-to-WLAN border. Without this capability, a voice call would be dropped at the border of the two systems, or in an overlay situation, the call may continue but not under the control of the optimal or preferred system for that location. Therefore, a need exists for an apparatus and method for handoff from a cellular wireless network to a non-cellular wireless network.
An overview of some handoff prior art will support the novelty of the invention described below. Handoffs across different wireless technologies have been accomplished before, for example, between CDMA and analog cellular. CDMA to analog handoff based on DAHO (Database Assisted Handoff) is a specific example. DAHO initiates a handoff from CDMA to analog based on the existence of pilot signals and location information stored in the source cellular system. However, this is not a viable solution for a CDMA-WLAN system because the number of WLAN APs are much larger than analog base stations, thus requiring very large databases to be stored in each CDMA base site. Consequently, this approach would be cumbersome and complex.
Similar to CDMA-analog handoffs, UMTS-GSM handoffs are known. These handoffs are enabled by incorporating changes in the GSM and UMTS base sites to recognize each other's cell sites. This is done by modifying the existing list of neighboring cells to include cells of the other technology. Specific changes to handover signaling between the MS and the BS is also required to enable the handover. The invention described below does not involve any changes to the neighbor lists or introduce any new handover signaling between the MS and the cellular BS.
Inter-MSC (mobile switching center) handoffs are defined in CDMA IS-95 B and GSM systems to provide handoffs between two base sites that are controlled by distinct MSCs. The Inter-MSC handoff procedures as defined in all cellular networks are initiated by the source MSC (the MSC currently serving the serving base site). The current IS-41 and MAP procedures (the interfaces governing the handoff procedure in CDMA and GSM respectively) only provide for source initiated handoffs. This can be seen, for example, in FIG. 1. FIG. 1 illustrates the inter-MSC handoff procedure for IS-95 systems based on the IS-41 specifications. (MAP procedures for GSM are similar.)
The known handoff procedure begins with the mobile station (MS) generating a CDMA Pilot Strength Measurement Message (PSMM) 1. The PSMM message contains the PN offsets and signal strengths (Echo) of pilots in the MS's candidate and active set. The base site (BS) determines that the PN offset sent in the PSMM does not correspond to a cell under its control. The BS generates a Handoff Required message 2 containing the Cell Identifier List (with Cell ID, and optionally more information like MSC ID, LAC, etc). The source MSC then identifies the target BS and the associated MSC. It sets up a terrestrial circuit to the target MSC, and sends an IS41_FACDIR2 message 3. The message contains the inter-MSC circuit ID, target cell ID, and other handoff-related parameters like channel condition, etc. The target MSC then initiates a Handoff Request 4 to the appropriate target BS. The message contains parameters that are mostly obtained (directly transferred) from the FACDIR2 message.
A Handoff Request Ack 5 is sent by the target BS to the MSC after radio resources and terrestrial circuits are allocated, and an IS—41_facdir2 6 is sent to the source MSC containing the parameters obtained from the Handoff Request Ack message. The Handoff Command 7 is then sent to the source BS to begin the handoff procedure, and the information in this message is used to generate an IS95_Extended Handoff Direction Message 8, containing the new frequency channel and frame offset. The IS95_Handoff Direction Message instructs the MS to switchover to the target cell/BS and start sending preamble frames on the reverse channel. The MS acks this message by sending an IS95_Extended Handoff Direction Ack Message 9 to the source BS. The source BS then sends a Handoff Commenced message 10 to the source MSC indicating that the handoff is progress.
When ready, the MS sends an IS—95 Handoff Completion message 11 to the target BS. The target BS then sends a Handoff Complete message 12 to the target MSC, and the target MSC informs the source MSC of the successful handover with an MSONCH message 13. Finally, a Clear Command message 14 and a Clear Complete message 15 are exchanged in order to release resources between the source BS and the source MSC.
Two aspects of this prior art handoff messaging are particularly pertinent. First, it is the MS that identifies the handoff target to the source BS and MSC by providing the PN offset of the target. Second, it is the source MSC that initiates the handoff messaging (see FIG. 1, message 3) by translating the PN offset to a target BS/MSC. However, if the target system were a WLAN system, the handoff target would be a WLAN access point (AP), and presently there is no messaging to enable either the MS or the source MSC to identify this target WLAN AP.